IPPUDO NY

"The rich, porky ramen at Ippudo is still one of the best bowls of noodle soup one can eat in New York City. There are three locations around the city, but we prefer the original East Village location, which has absurdly long waits much of the time. Consider making a solo pilgrimage, or just tell your boss you have to leave work at 4pm for a doctor’s appointment. Their pork buns are a must-order as well." - will hartman, willa moore, sonal shah, neha talreja, kenny yang

"Akamaru Modern The rich, porky broth at Ippudo is still one of the best bowls of noodle soup you’ll find in New York City. The original East Village location has absurdly long waits much of the time, but thankfully, they’re also offering ramen for takeout and local delivery right now. Whether you enjoy it on your couch at home, or want to dine-in at the restaurant, be sure you also get an order of pork buns." - nikko duren

"Ippudo is a famous ramen chain from Japan that decided to open their first overseas outpost in the East Village in 2008. Nothing against the city where your visiting friend is flying from, but there probably isn’t an Ippudo opening there anytime soon—so a trip here will feel special. Although new ramen spots pop up in NYC all the time, we still regularly come back here for their bowl of Akamaru Shinaji (tonkotsu broth with garlic oil and a secret house paste) and pork belly with mayo and spicy sauce in steamed buns. There’s another location in Midtown, which is handy if your friend wants to see a Broadway show." - kenny yang

"Suitable For: A Good Cry First of all, the city's best ramen shop is way easier to get into when you're alone. And you're probably alone right now. It's dark in here, and everyone's too focused on their food to pay attention to you. So let your tears drip with reckless abandon right into a bowl of rich, creamy pork broth. It'll make the soup even saltier." - hillary reinsberg

"Authentic Tonkatsu Ramen at Ippudo NY The melodious invitations of “irasshaimase” (“welcome”) from all the staff at Ippudo NY as I walked into the restaurant quickly transported me back to Japan although I must admit it seemed to me slightly dissonant, almost like a dubbed movie, when I heard the phrase perfectly uttered from some of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed waiters. But the welcome was a nice touch, an additional layer of the place’s verisimilitude. We waited for our table in the busy bar area where ramen bowls lined its red walls like trophies in a hunting lodge. The glowing reviews and reasonable prices make Ippudo NY a very popular choice even at six in the evening - presumably just a late lunch for New Yorkers. The restaurant does not take reservations so expect a little wait. We sat in a narrow wing filled with a concentrate of small tables: You are close enough to your neighbors to smell what they ordered and be influenced by their decisions. We started with the pork bun, a popular choice: It was smooth and creamy but not as sweet as the ones I had in Japan. My wife and I both ordered ramen, she the miso tonkotsu and I the traditional tonkotsu, and we delighted in its milky oil-dappled broth, the telltale soft boiled egg, and the freshly pulled ramen. We finished with the matcha (green tea) ice cream and soft tofu, a distinctively Japanese combination, and it completed our reintroduction to the dining experiences we so loved in Japan and we were left to reflexively whisper to ourselves “oishi.” By Tony Tuntasit"